


keep your cool

by keepurselfalive



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Hand Feeding, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Vomit Mention, heat exhaustion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 01:39:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18955324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keepurselfalive/pseuds/keepurselfalive
Summary: Freddie stumbled as soon as they were off the stage. It took John a little by surprise, even though it shouldn't have. Freddie had fucking thrown up on stage. But then he'd come back, and sung as hard as before, danced around as much as ever. So yeah, him tripping over his own feet caught John off-guard.





	keep your cool

**Author's Note:**

> first poly!queen fic, let me know what you think :)

Freddie stumbled as soon as they were off the stage. It took John a little by surprise, even though it shouldn't have. Freddie had fucking  _thrown up_ on stage. But then he'd come back, and sung as hard as before, danced around as much as ever. So yeah, him tripping over his own feet caught John off-guard. Luckily, Brian was there and caught Freddie.

 

Brian said, "Yeah, okay," and pulled Freddie towards him, literally picking him up bridal style. 

 

Freddie mumbled, "My hero."

 

Roger said, "Sure. He splatters puke on  _my_  kit and  _he_  gets treated like a princess," but John saw how scared Roger looked, how he couldn't stop staring over at Freddie, who was all but panting.

 

Miami found them then, looking stressed, and worried. "Jesus. I thought you guys had traveled in the south before.”

 

And well, okay, fair enough, but it had  _never_  been hot like this, not with the suffocating humidity factored in.

 

Once they were in the car, John grabbed as many bottles of water as he could hold and passed them out, opening Freddie's up for him. Freddie smiled tiredly. "Thanks."

 

John just tipped his own bottle in Freddie's direction and started drinking. It was freaking him out, how the first thing Freddie had done when they'd gotten in the car was to get as far away from all of them as he could. Logically he understood that body heat was just too much for Freddie to take at the moment, but it was scary and wrong, all the same. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep for the duration of the ride. Roger’s hand settled in his hair and John said, "Hey."

 

Roger said, "I'll wake you when we get there, Deaky.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Freddie insisted on walking into the hotel but let the three of them crowd him a little, just in case. He sat down in the elevator, and didn't protest when Roger pulled him up and draped one of Freddie's arms over his shoulder. Freddie said, "Sorry 'bout--"

 

Roger said, "Fred, hush, I don’t care about the bloody kit. I was just messing with you.”

 

They all went into the room Freddie and Brian had been slated to share. Freddie said, "Cold shower," and started to head in that direction.

 

Roger said, "Uh uh. What, did none of you guys take a first aid course?"

 

John imagined he looked as confused as Brian. Roger just shook his head. "You have to start with lukewarm. Anything colder could send you into shock."

 

Freddie pouted. "But I'm hot, Roger.”

 

"Says you," Roger said, and pulled him by the hand into the bathroom. John looked over at Brian and the two of them followed. Roger was already running the water, testing its temperature. John went over and plucked the buttons on Freddie's shirt open. Brian was prepping a toothbrush, which he then gave to Freddie. Freddie looked at him with an awe and worship that would have unsettled John if he hadn't known exactly how Freddie felt.

 

John and Brian got Freddie out of his shoes and pants while he was brushing the worst of the taste from his mouth and Roger declared the water, "Ready."

 

Freddie made another face at Roger, but rinsed his mouth and climbed in. No sooner had the water hit than he was screaming, "Fuck! Fuck! I thought you said this was lukewarm, you twat!”

 

"Well, not compared to your body temperature," Roger said, mildly, reasonably. Brian looked down, not really hiding his smile at all.

 

"I hate all of you," Freddie said, but continued to stand under the spray, breath coming quickly. When it started to even out, Roger turned down the temperature. This time, Freddie just nodded at him a little. 

 

"Hey, Fred, it okay if I--" Brian started.

 

"Yeah, I think-- I'm cool enough now."

 

John figured that was permission enough for all of them, so he stripped alongside Brian, and as soon as Roger saw that, he hopped on the bandwagon as well. It was a tight fit, the shower not really made for four grown men—skinny though they might be--but they knew how to fit in spaces that they shouldn't have been able to. Brian cleaned Freddie up, keeping his hands light on Freddie's skin, trusting John and Roger to keep him balanced.

 

When they had managed to scrub the worst of the show off themselves, they got out, Freddie's skin finally slightly cool to the touch. John took a towel and dried Freddie's hair with it, while Brian and Roger dried him off. They took care of themselves then, before heading into the other room. There was a room service cart with a pitcher of water, pain killers, and chilled fruits sitting there, a note from Miami sitting on the cart: "Eat. Or else." Freddie laid into the water and pills without delay.

 

Brian picked up a piece of mango, probably because it was one of Freddie's favorites and said, "Open."

 

Freddie opened nicely but caught Brian’s fingers in his mouth when Brian tried to extract them. John rolled his eyes, but he was relieved that Freddie was feeling playful again, if only just a little. It wasn't like John hadn't seen Freddie play through adversity, through heartbreak and hangovers, but there had been something in the pure energy Freddie had expended for a crowd of people who had never seen them, probably wouldn't see them again for a long time, despite his body telling him it was time to give up.

 

John watched as Brian pulled his fingers free and leaned in to kiss Freddie softly. Roger waited til the kiss reached it’s conclusion before pushing Brian aside with one hip and offering up a strawberry. John tried his best to be patient, but in the end had to pull Roger back so that he could get in with his pineapple slice. Brian chewed on a star fruit and watched. Then he picked out a raspberry and took his turn.

 

* * *

 

 

They only let Freddie head toward the bed once he'd finished a full two glasses of water. He made noises about their tyranny. They ignored him.

 

Eventually, though, when he had done as they told him, they pulled back the covers and let Freddie slip into the sheets, cooled by the air conditioning that they'd turned down almost from the moment they'd entered the room. Roger made to tuck Freddie in and Freddie said, "No cuddles? I fucking deserve cuddles, darlings. Even if I did get sick on Roger's kit."

 

"We thought--" John started.

 

"Cold enough, now, Deaky. Get in this bed, I need my boys."

 

In some ways, it was an even tighter fit than the shower. Freddie pressed himself into Brian, made space for John, pulled Roger all but on top of them, until he was able to settle almost over Brian, his hand tucked against Freddie's hip. John said, "Happy now?" but Freddie was already asleep.


End file.
